Lady In Red
by Heroine of the Valley
Summary: Taiora Songfic. Can a tomboy be a lady?


**Lady In Red**

**I do not own Digimon or this song.  So there!**

"Tell me again why we're here, Matt?" Tai demanded, fiddling with his collar.  "Man…my collar's itchin' me!  And I can't breath."

"It's only a party, dude," Matt said, combing his blond hair with his fingers.  They were at some fancy party dressed up in suits, both black. Matt's Tie being blue and Tai's was orange, like their crest collars.  

"Shouldn't you be providing the music?" Tai asked.

"Nah," Matt said.  "My keyboard player's got the flu."

'Lucky guy," Tai thought.  "I don't know anyone here."

"Hello, gentlemen!" Davis called behind them, making them jump.

"Davis, what--what are you doing here?" Tai said, "You didn't talk my sister into coming, did you?"

"No, she came with TK," Matt said.

"Only because he beat me to it!"  Davis groaned.  He wore black slacks, a blue shirt and an orange vest and of course, Tai's goggles.  "I may be dateless but I'd never miss out on a party."  He looked over at TK and Kari dancing.  "Look at those two…"

"Matt--your brother's dancing too close to my sister!" Tai gasped.

"He is not," Matt argued.

"I'll save her, Tai!" Daisuke said.

"You just stay away from my sister!" Tai ordered.

A girl none of them knew wearing a silver dress walked up to Davis and asked him to dance.

"Whoa--today must be my lucky day!" Davis said, "Sure doll.  Later, fellas."  He walked off with the pretty lady.

"Did--did you see that?" Tai gasped.  "How--how?"

"I'm as surprised as you are," Matt mumbled.  His eyes looked over the room and he saw a girl in a red dress, which looked quite familiar.

"What are you looking at?" Tai questioned.

"See that girl in the red dress?" Matt asked.

"I see a lot of girls in red dresses," Tai muttered.

She was walking across the room and every available bachelor and their eyes on her, even some of the unavailable ones and their dates looked at them angrily.

"That girl," Matt said, pointing at the girl walking around the room.  "See her."

"Yeah, she does look a bit familiar," Tai agreed, watching tensely as half the men in the room run up to ask her to dance.

I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight   
I've never seen you shine so bright   
I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance   
They're looking for a little romance   
Given half a chance   
And I've never seen that dress you're wearing   
Or the highlights in your hair   
That catch your eyes   
I have been blind

The familiar girl danced with almost every man in the room except for Tai, Matt, Davis and TK.  

"Hey, wait a second," Matt said, squinting, "that girl is…Sora!"

"Sora?" Tai gasped, "That's Sora?"

Sora looked right at him and smiled.

"Oh, my gosh!" Tai mumbled, "She looked at me!  Wow, she looks so gorgeous!"

"I've never seen that dress before," Matt said.

"Just look at her, Matt!" Tai said, "She looks like…like…"

"A lady?" Matt asked quietly.

"Yeah! She looks like a lady!"  Tai spoke breathlessly.  "I never thought of her as a lady!"

"Well, she is."

"I know, but she's always been a sporty girl…a tomboy," Tai said, "but in that dress…she looks like a lady…in a red dress!"

"Maybe you should ask her to dance," Matt suggested.

"No, I can't," Tai mumbled, "I can't."

"Better do that now before time runs out," Matt said.

"I can't."

"Sure you can, Tai!" Matt urged, "You've known her for your whole life!  You played on the same soccer team!"

"Soccer is much different than dancing!" Tai snapped.

"Come on, what are you afraid of?" 

"Afraid?  I'm not afraid!"

"If you don't, then I will!"  Matt growled and began to walk away from Tai to Sora.

****The lady in red is dancing with me   
Cheek to cheek   
There's nobody here   
It's just you and me   
It's where I wanna be   
But I hardly know this beauty by my side   
I'll never forget the way you look tonight

"Matt--wait a second!" Tai shouted after him as he grabbed his arm, "don't you dare!"

"Are you going to ask her or what?" he demanded.  

His voice disappeared and he couldn't speak.  What came out was just guttural squeaks.

"What's that?"  Matt asked.

Tai cleared his throat, "Okay.   I'll ask her."

"Better hurry now," Matt said, "or you'll just have to take a number."  

Sora had no men around her asking her to dance this time.  This was Tai's chance.  "I'll do it," Tai said. "I'll do it!"

"Yeah, I'm right behind ya man!" Matt slapped Tai hard in the back, almost making Tai fall flat on his face.  Tai shot Matt an angry look and proceeded to walk to Sora.

"Go for it!" Matt held up his thumb.

I've never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight   
I've never seen you shine so bright you were amazing   
I've never seen so many people want to be there by your side   
And when you turned to me and smiled it took my breath away   
And I have never had such a feeling such a feeling   
Of complete and utter love, as I do tonight

As soon as Tai was some distance from Matt, a swarm of schoolgirls surrounded Matt, asking for a dance or an autograph. 

"Tai--help me!" Matt gasped.

'Almost there,' Tai thought to himself, 'Oh man, I never saw Sora look so beautiful!  Is this really Sora?'

Sora sat at a table holding a cup of punch.  She didn't notice Tai coming to her.

"Sora?" Tai mumbled.

"Tai?" she put down her cup and looked up at him.  "Hi!"

Tai looked her over.  She was wearing a red strapless dress made out of silk and matching red gloves.  He noticed on the left side of her head was--he gasped--the sun shaped hairpin he gave her for her birthday.  He never noticed the highlights in her hair.  What was she trying new?

'And she hated that thing!' he thought.

Tai looked at her and forgot the reason he came up her.

"Tai, what's up?" she asked.

The lady in red is dancing with me   
Cheek to cheek   
There's nobody here   
It's just you and me   
It's where I wanna be   
But I hardly know this beauty by my side   
I'll never forget the way you look tonight

Tai reached down inside him and found his courage.  "Sora, will you dance with me?"

Sora smiled brightly.  "I was wondering when you were going to ask me."  

"Does that mean yes?"

She laughed, stood up and slipped her hand around his elbow, "what do you think?  Of course it means yes!"

Tai grinned and led her to the center of the dance floor.  He didn't even seem to know about the other couples dancing around them. He didn't hear Matt calling him for help or Kari saying, "Well, it's about time" or anything. 

The music took over.  Tai faded everyone and everything out.  He placed his right hand on the small of her back and held her hand with his other as she placed her left hand on his shoulder.  She looked up at him and smiled and he smiled back.  She tilted her head forward and pressed her cheek against his.  Tai couldn't believe he was dancing cheek to cheek with the girl of his dreams.  Tai never expected Sora, his old _teammate_ could look like such a lady.

The lady in red is dancing with me   
Cheek to cheek   
There's nobody here   
It's just you and me   
It's where I wanna be   
But I hardly know this beauty by my side   
I'll never forget the way you look tonight

"Sora, you look beautiful," he whispered to her.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," he said.  "Sora, I hardly even recognized you.  I mean…you're absolutely radiant.  You look like a lady."

"I am a lady," she said.

He titled his head to the side, "you didn't play like a lady in soccer!"

Sora grinned.  "That does make a difference, huh?"

He nodded, "I'll never forget how good you looked tonight, Sora."

"I look like a lady," she said, "and you're talking like a gentleman…there had to be something in that punch!"

Tai kissed her forehead, "It's not the punch.  I'll always remember you looking like a lady, Sora.  A lady in red."

Sora almost turned the color of her dress.  She looked down and then up at Tai.  "You're just so…"

"So what?"

She sighed, "nevermind."  And she pressed her cheek against his.  They remained close until the end of the song.  

I never will forget the way you look tonight   
The lady in red   
My lady in red****


End file.
